The Ant's Lesson

Have you ever stopped and looked
By your feet, on the ground,
And seen all the little ants
Scurrying 'round and around?

Little black specks,
Moving along.
Altogether creating,
Quite a throng.

Bumping heads together
As they move down their track,
Sometimes one will turn around
And go back.

For such little creatures
They really are quite strong,
Picking up something bigger than they
And carrying it right along.

As weather forecasters
They really have a flair,
Moving their whole household
When rain is in the air.

While looking for food
They surely do roam
Far away from
Their underground home.

Those that stay home
Don't get to rest,
They're to busy cleaning
And minding the nest.

There's the queen to look after,
As well as the  eggs,
And for a day off
Not one of them begs.
From the day they are born
Till the day that they die,
They work and they work,
Just to survive.

I think from these ants
There's a lesson we can learn
About not complaining
How little we earn.

Or how hard we work
From nine 'til five,
Just to earn money
So we can survive.

But we're much better off
Than those that must work
Twenty-four hours a day
From the day of their birth.

© Kristin Retallack

"Proverbs 6:6 says 'Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise.'   We should all learn from the ant, who works hard carrying weights ten times its body weight, busying themselves all day long.  The Bible states that sloth (laziness) is a sin, and that we must take care not to fall into sin.   Australia is a lazy country, with a "She'll be right, mate" attitude to life's problems.   Many are quite content to just sit back and wait for blessings to just fall in their laps!  In fact, most of the world is like that also.   But the Bible also says 'A man reaps what he sows' (Galatians 6:7).   You put 100% in, you'll get 100% back.  But if you put nothing in, what will you get back?   We can all learn from the ant...."